When the new Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple is finally built here, it will look like a traditional Indian temple with some remarkable differences because of a blending of Western construction.
And hopefully, construction will begin soon following the 11th annual Festival of India, to be held today beginning at 4 p.m. on 15 acres the Hare Krishnas own just south of the city limits (see accompanying box).Vai Bhavi Dasi and her husband, Charu Das, live in the existing temple on the site. While it appears as a log home to onlookers, inside it has all the trappings of the eastern Vaishnavisn religion, or fundamental Hinduism. The believers are known to outsiders as Hare Krishnas because of their chants, which contain those words.
Hare Krishna are names of God, said Dasi. Krishna is the second god in the Hindu trinity, an incarnation of the god Vishnu.
While the annual festival they are preparing to host draws thousands of people, their beginnings in Utah were inauspicious. The couple moved to Spanish Fork in 1983 when they purchased KHQN, the 1,000-watt radio station that broadcasts devotional music and teaching throughout Utah County and parts of Salt Lake County. Broadcast facilities are located on the 15-acre site, and offerings include lectures and shows on vegetarianism and health.
Born as Christians, the couple converted to the Hindu religion years ago and took new names when they took their vows. Dasi's name means "one who has richness in ecstasy," she said.
As vegetarians, they abhor violence against all species, including animals. They espouse high moral values and standards similar to the LDS community that surrounds them. A major difference is that LDS Church members are instructed to sparingly eat meat, she said, "but we have to keep reminding them."
Because community moral stan-dards are pervasive, they say they don't have to teach "the basics" to those who attend their Sunday services. Rather, they can devote their time to studying how to serve God, Dasi said. Between 50 and 100 people regularly attend their worship services, and up to 500 people are devoted to the religion locally, most of them from Salt Lake City, she said. The church's mailing list numbers about 2,000.
The couple raises llamas on their property and have, perhaps, the largest llama herd in Utah.
"We sell the babies fast," said Dasi. "It's our business." The herd got its start several years ago when the couple wanted some llamas for pack animals to take on their mountain treks. When they began getting inquiries about where to purchase the llamas, they began breeding the animals.
Today they not only provide llamas for sale, they also rent them out as pack animals. "They are wonderfully trained," said Dasi.
Yet the couple's major focus is construction of the temple. The site is on a hill near the present log structure. A deity has already been buried 20 feet deep in what will become the corner stone. It is modeled after the 1,000-headed serpent they believe holds up the universe. This version is to hold up the temple.
The hill offers panoramic views of south Utah County and a visible locale for the temple, which will be visible from miles around - particularly at night when it is lit. Modeled after Kusum Sarovar, a famous devotional palace in Mathura Vrndavan, India, it will be built in phases. Budgeted at $1 million, just how fast it is completed depends entirely on the donations that come in. The structure could conceivably be finished in time for the Olympics, Dasi said.
While Indian temples usually take years to build because of the intricate stone work and carving that goes into them, this one will incorporate western building techniques - making construction much easier and faster. The difference will also facilitate compliance with Utah building codes and construction that allows for harsh winter weather.
Rather than hundreds of intricately carved stone columns, artisans will carve only one pillar, make a mold of it, then cast the rest in a fiberglass reinforced concrete material. A colonnade of arches will surround the 50-foot high, 10,000-square-foot structure and make important architectural statements through-out the edifice. Some 200 arches are planned along with at least 17 onion-shaped domes. The main dome will measure 25 feet in diameter.
Technically, the domes are called lotus domes, after the lotus flower, sacred to the religion. The shape of the lotus flower is found in many symbols of the religion, from the eyes of its god to the shape he assumes when he sits.
The architecture, an Indian Renaissance style, or Rajastani style, dates back 500 to 1,000 years, said Dasi.
Because the county requires that the temple supply its own water for fire protection, the couple will build a giant pond connected to the temple with waterfalls cascading down the hill to other recirculating ponds below. They will be stocked with colorful fish and laden with flowers.
The temple will be open to the public and be available for community use as well as regular services. Dasi envisions weddings, receptions and cultural events taking place there.